Leica SL2-S vs Sony A9 II

The Leica SL2-S and the Sony Alpha A9 II are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in December 2020 and October 2019. Both the Leica SL2-S and the A9 II are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are equipped with a full frame sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Leica SL2-S		Sony A9 II
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Leica L mount lenses		Sony E mount lenses
24 MP – Full Frame sensor		24 MP – Full Frame sensor
4K/60p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 100-50,000 (50 - 100,000)		ISO 100-51,200 (50 - 204,800)
Electronic viewfinder (5760k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (3686k dots)
3.2" LCD – 2100k dots		3.0" LCD – 1440k dots
Fixed touchscreen		Tilting touchscreen
20 shutter flaps per second		20 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
510 shots per battery charge		690 shots per battery charge
146 x 107 x 83 mm, 931 g		129 x 96 x 76 mm, 678 g

Check Leica SL2-S price at
amazon.com
Check A9 II price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Leica SL2-S and the Sony Alpha A9 II? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Leica SL2-S and the Sony A9 II are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A9 II is notably smaller (21 percent) than the Leica SL2-S. Moreover, the A9 II is markedly lighter (27 percent) than the Leica SL2-S. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the Leica SL2-S gets 510 shots out of its Leica BP-SCL4 battery, while the A9 II can take 690 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FZ100 power pack. The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Leica SL2-S	146 mm	107 mm	83 mm	931 g	510	Y	Dec 2020	US$ 4 899	amazon.com
2.		Sony A9 II	129 mm	96 mm	76 mm	678 g	690	Y	Oct 2019	US$ 4 499	amazon.com
3.		Canon R3	150 mm	143 mm	87 mm	1015 g	760	Y	Sep 2021	US$ 5 999	amazon.com
4.		Canon R6	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	680 g	360	Y	Jul 2020	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
5.		Leica SL	147 mm	104 mm	39 mm	847 g	400	Y	Oct 2015	US$ 7 449	ebay.com
6.		Leica SL2	146 mm	107 mm	42 mm	953 g	370	Y	Nov 2019	US$ 5 999	amazon.com
7.		Panasonic S1	149 mm	110 mm	97 mm	1017 g	400	Y	Feb 2019	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
8.		Panasonic S1H	151 mm	114 mm	110 mm	1052 g	400	Y	May 2019	US$ 3 999	amazon.com
9.		Panasonic S1R	149 mm	110 mm	97 mm	1016 g	380	Y	Feb 2019	US$ 3 699	amazon.com
10.		Panasonic S5	133 mm	98 mm	82 mm	714 g	440	Y	Sep 2020	US$ 1 999	amazon.com
11.		Sony A7 III	127 mm	96 mm	74 mm	650 g	610	Y	Feb 2018	US$ 1 999	amazon.com
12.		Sony A7C	124 mm	71 mm	60 mm	509 g	740	Y	Sep 2020	US$ 1 799	amazon.com
13.		Sony A7R IV	129 mm	96 mm	78 mm	665 g	670	Y	Jul 2019	US$ 3 499	ebay.com
14.		Sony A7S III	127 mm	97 mm	81 mm	699 g	600	Y	Jul 2020	US$ 3 499	amazon.com
15.		Sony A9	127 mm	96 mm	63 mm	673 g	650	Y	Apr 2017	US$ 4 499	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The A9 II was somewhat cheaper (by 8 percent) than the Leica SL2-S at launch, but both cameras fall into the same price category. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the A9 II is 2 percent smaller. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Even though the Leica SL2-S has a slightly larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 24 megapixels. This implies that the Leica SL2-S has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 6.00μm versus 5.94μm for the A9 II), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. In addition, the Leica SL2-S is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 2 months) than the A9 II, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the Leica SL2-S has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The A9 II has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

Unlike the A9 II, the Leica SL2-S has the capacity to capture high quality composite images (96MP) by combining multiple shots after shifting its sensor by miniscule distances. This multi-shot, pixel-shift mode is most suitable for photography of stationary objects (landscapes, studio scenes).

The Leica SL2-S has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 50000, which can be extended to ISO 50-100000. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha A9 II are ISO 100 to ISO 51200, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-204800.

In terms of underlying technology, the Leica SL2-S is build around a CMOS sensor, while the A9 II uses a Stacked BSI-CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Leica SL2-S	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/60p	25.2	14.1	3504	95
2.		Sony A9 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.0	3434	93
3.		Canon R3	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	6K/60p	25.0	14.7	4086	96
4.		Canon R6	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	4k/60p	24.2	14.3	3394	90
5.		Leica SL	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	13.4	1821	88
6.		Leica SL2	Full Frame	46.7	8368	5584	4K/60p	25.3	14.3	2866	95
7.		Panasonic S1	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/60p	25.2	14.5	3333	95
8.		Panasonic S1H	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	6K/30p	25.2	14.2	2805	94
9.		Panasonic S1R	Full Frame	46.7	8368	5584	4K/60p	26.4	14.1	3525	100
10.		Panasonic S5	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/60p	25.1	14.5	2697	94
11.		Sony A7 III	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.7	3730	96
12.		Sony A7C	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.7	3407	95
13.		Sony A7R IV	Full Frame	60.2	9504	6336	4K/30p	26.0	14.8	3344	99
14.		Sony A7S III	Full Frame	12.0	4240	2832	4K/120p	23.7	13.9	2520	86
15.		Sony A9	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.9	13.3	3517	92
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the Leica SL2-S provides a higher frame rate than the A9 II. It can shoot video footage at 4K/60p, while the Sony is limited to 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The two cameras under consideration are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the Leica SL2-S offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the A9 II (5760k vs 3686k dots). The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Leica SL2-S and Sony A9 II along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Leica SL2-S	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	fixed	Y	1/8000s	20.0/s	n	Y
2.		Sony A9 II	3686	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	20.0/s	n	Y
3.		Canon R3	5760	Y	3.2 / 4150	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
4.		Canon R6	3690	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
5.		Leica SL	4400	Y	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/8000s	11.0/s	n	n
6.		Leica SL2	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	fixed	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
7.		Panasonic S1	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	full-flex	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	Y
8.		Panasonic S1H	5760	Y	3.2 / 2330	swivel	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	Y
9.		Panasonic S1R	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	full-flex	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	Y
10.		Panasonic S5	2360	n	3.0 / 1840	swivel	Y	1/8000s	7.0/s	n	Y
11.		Sony A7 III	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
12.		Sony A7C	2360	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	Y
13.		Sony A7R IV	5760	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
14.		Sony A7S III	9440	n	3.0 / 1440	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
15.		Sony A9	3686	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	20.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that is present on the Leica SL2-S, but is missing on the A9 II is a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, both cameras under consideration feature an electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Leica SL2-S and the Sony A9 II both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the Leica SL2-S and the A9 II write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. Moreover, both the Leica SL2-S and the A9 II support UHS-II cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s, on both slots.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Leica SL2-S and Sony Alpha A9 II and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Leica SL2-S	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
2.		Sony A9 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	Y	Y
3.		Canon R3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
4.		Canon R6	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
5.		Leica SL	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.0	Y	-	-
6.		Leica SL2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y
7.		Panasonic S1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y
8.		Panasonic S1H	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y
9.		Panasonic S1R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y
10.		Panasonic S5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
11.		Sony A7 III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	Y	Y
12.		Sony A7C	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	Y	Y
13.		Sony A7R IV	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	Y	Y
14.		Sony A7S III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
15.		Sony A9	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Sony A9 II (unlike the Leica SL2-S) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the Leica SL2-S and the A9 II are recent models that are part of the current product line-up. The A9 II replaced the earlier Sony A9, while the Leica SL2-S does not have a direct predecessor. Further information on the features and operation of the Leica SL2-S and A9 II can be found, respectively, in the Leica SL2-S Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A9 II Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Leica SL2-S better than the Sony A9 II or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Advantages of the Leica SL2-S:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• High quality composites: Can combine several shots after pixel-shifting its sensor.
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (4K/60p versus 4K/30p).
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (5760k vs 3686k dots).
• Easier setting verification: Features an LCD display on top to control shooting parameters.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (2100k vs 1440k dots).
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.2 vs 3.1).
• More solid recording: Has a full-sized HDMI port for a sturdy connection to an external recorder.
• More prestigious: Has the Leica luxury appeal, which ensures a high resale price.
• More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 1 year and 2 months after the A9 II).

Arguments in favor of the Sony Alpha A9 II:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• More flexible LCD: Has a tilting screen for odd-angle shots in landscape orientation.
• More compact: Is smaller (129x96mm vs 146x107mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 253g or 27 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (690 versus 510) out of a single battery charge.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in October 2019).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the Leica SL2-S emerges as the winner of the contest (11 : 9 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Leica SL2-S and the Sony A9 II place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the Leica SL2-S or the A9 II perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Leica SL2-S	4/5	..	4/5	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Dec 2020	US$ 4 899	amazon.com
2.		Sony A9 II	..	..	5/5	90/100	5/5	5/5	Oct 2019	US$ 4 499	amazon.com
3.		Canon R3	5/5	o	4.5/5	..	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2021	US$ 5 999	amazon.com
4.		Canon R6	5/5	+ +	4/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2020	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
5.		Leica SL	4/5	..	4/5	84/100	4.5/5	4/5	Oct 2015	US$ 7 449	ebay.com
6.		Leica SL2	4/5	..	4.5/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2019	US$ 5 999	amazon.com
7.		Panasonic S1	4.5/5	+ +	4.5/5	88/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2019	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
8.		Panasonic S1H	..	..	4/5	90/100	..	..	May 2019	US$ 3 999	amazon.com
9.		Panasonic S1R	4.5/5	..	4.6/5	89/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2019	US$ 3 699	amazon.com
10.		Panasonic S5	4.5/5	+ +	4.5/5	88/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2020	US$ 1 999	amazon.com
11.		Sony A7 III	..	+ +	4.5/5	89/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2018	US$ 1 999	amazon.com
12.		Sony A7C	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	86/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2020	US$ 1 799	amazon.com
13.		Sony A7R IV	5/5	+	4.5/5	91/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2019	US$ 3 499	ebay.com
14.		Sony A7S III	4.5/5	+ +	5/5	91/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2020	US$ 3 499	amazon.com
15.		Sony A9	5/5	+ +	4.8/5	89/100	5/5	5/5	Apr 2017	US$ 4 499	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Check Leica SL2-S price at
amazon.com
Check A9 II price at
amazon.com

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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Check Leica SL2-S price at
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Check A9 II price at
amazon.com

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